Arabic

Dr. Nada Al Nafea

King Abdulaziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Role of Traditional Coastal Cities on the Local Economy:

Case Study of Jeddah and Tripoli Inhabited historic areas are considered important from a cultural and economic aspect. In one hand, it is vital for any city to preserve its architectural heritage and this will not occur unless many institutions collaborate with local people to maintain this asset. On the other hand, the architectural heritage and specifically inhabited historic areas can be seen as an economic resource. This can happen if we look at the historic buildings as a tourist attraction. This paper aims to search for all the possibilities to invest in the inhabited historic areas to enhance local people income in Jeddah. The purpose here is to encourage the inhabitants of historical areas to stay in their location. As most of the studies indicated, reviving historic areas cannot be achieved unless we bring social and economic life in these areas. In this case, old Jeddah needs to be considered from this perspective which requires developing a strategic plan to invest in the old heart of the city. The plan should concentrate on encouraging people to return back and this can not happen unless old Jeddah becomes an economic attraction. The researcher will learn from the experience of old Tripoli, which is already a living historical area and a tourist attraction that is reflected in the inhabitants' acceptance to live in the old buildings and practice their daily life from commercial and social sides. It also has a clear economic impact on the whole city (old Tripoli is considered one of the most important attractions for tourists). The inhabitants of old Tripoli preserved the old image without harming the architectural heritage of the old city. It is considered in this regard a very sustainable area both economically and socially. The researcher feels that to achieve this objective in old Jeddah we need to enhance the income of its local people and the whole city economy. As well as preserve the historic buildings without financing the conservation process because the inhabitants will maintain the buildings. The outcome of this study will be presented in a way to discover all the potentialities in the historic part of Jeddah that can be utilized to enhance the socio-economic aspects to reconnect it with the whole city. Keywords: old Jeddah; old Tripoli; socio-economic impact; historic areas; tourism attraction.